mirror of
https://github.com/dataforcanada/d4c-service-main-site.git
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Diego Ripley
255 lines
14 KiB
Markdown
255 lines
14 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Welcome to Data for Canada
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toc: false
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---
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## Mission
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Data for Canada exists to bridge the gap between open data availability, resiliency, and usability. We curate, clean, and re-engineer high-value Canadian datasets into high-performance, analysis-ready formats for data engineers, researchers/scientists, developers, and systems.
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## The Problem
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Canada creates incredible amounts of open data, from foundational road networks to federal census statistics and orthoimagery. However, these datasets are often locked in legacy formats, fragmented portals, or structures that require significant engineering effort to normalize. For our target audience, the "time-to-insight" is often bottlenecked by data preparation.
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## What Guides Us
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We prioritize our work in a utilitarian manner, aiming to provide the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of individuals. Our approach is guided by the principles of **digital preservation** and the need to keep public information accessible over the long term.
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Our approach is guided by the following:
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* [Link rot in LIS literature: a 20-year study of web citation decay, recovery and preservation challenges](https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-05-2025-0286)
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* [Guidance on assessing readiness to manage data according to Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles](https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/information-management/guidance-assessing-readiness-manage-data-according-findable-accessible-interoperable-reusable-principles.html)
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* [GC White Paper: Data Sovereignty and Public Cloud](https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/cloud-services/digital-sovereignty/gc-white-paper-data-sovereignty-public-cloud.html)
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* [Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections](https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/index.html)
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* [Cloud-Optimized Geospatial Formats Guide](https://guide.cloudnativegeo.org/)
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**Data Stability:**
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Beyond technical barriers, open data can be ephemeral. Links break, portals are reorganized, and priorities shift, causing valuable datasets to vanish from the public web. This instability makes it risky to build long-term research or software on top of data providers.
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## The Solution
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We act as the transformation layer. We aggregate datasets with permissive licenses and process them into "digestible" standards optimized for modern downstream applications.
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* **For Data Engineers, Researchers/Scientists, and Developers:** Skip the cleaning phase. Access normalized, documented data ready for analysis.
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* **For Systems:** Standardized data structures designed to feed directly into pipelines, data warehouses, and downstream services.
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**Our Stewardship:**
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Data for Canada takes ownership of the datasets we create, from start to finish. We ensure that data remains consistent and available, acting as a stable foundation for your work, and allowing for reliable analysis across **time and space**. By decoupling access from the original source, we ensure your pipelines don't break even if the upstream location changes or expires.
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## Target Software Ecosystem
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We adopt an **open-source first** approach, while supporting proprietary solutions to the best of our ability to ensure maximum accessibility. **We target the latest versions of these software packages** (e.g., modern GDAL/OGR) to leverage the newest improvements.
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Our data is optimized for:
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| Category | Recommended Stack & Libraries |
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| :--- | :--- |
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| **Core & Desktop** | [GDAL/OGR](https://gdal.org/), [QGIS](https://qgis.org/), [QField](https://qfield.org/) |
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| **Python & Data** | [GeoPandas](https://geopandas.org/), [Lonboard](https://developmentseed.org/lonboard/latest/), [DuckDB](https://duckdb.org/), [SedonaDB](https://sedona.apache.org/sedonadb/latest/)|
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| **Serving** | [GeoServer](https://geoserver.org/), [Martin](https://martin.maplibre.org/), [ZOO-Project](https://zoo-project.org/) |
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| **Serverless** | [Cloudflare Workers](https://workers.cloudflare.com/), [AWS Lambda](https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/), [Google Cloud Run functions](https://cloud.google.com/functions) |
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| **Enterprise** | [ArcGIS Pro](https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-pro/overview), [ArcGIS Enterprise](https://enterprise.arcgis.com/) |
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## Explore Sample Datasets
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See our processing pipeline in action. View samples and documentation for our current priority processes:
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* [**Statistical Products**](https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/processes/statistical_products/): Census data and other quantitative datasets.
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* [**Foundation**](https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/processes/foundation/#download-and-preview/): Core geospatial layers including address point, road networks, and buildings.
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* [**Orthoimagery**](https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/processes/orthoimagery/#download-and-preview): High-resolution orthoimagery.
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## High-Level Overview
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**Note:** The data sources in the diagram below are **prioritized from left to right**, reflecting our current focus on processing high-value [statistical](https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/processes/statistical_products/), [foundational](https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/processes/foundation/#download-and-preview), and [orthoimagery](https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/processes/orthoimagery/#download-and-preview) datasets first.
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```mermaid
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flowchart TD
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classDef linkNode stroke:#0000EE,color:#0000EE,stroke-width:2px;
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subgraph ds [Data Sources]
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Statistical@{ shape: lean-l}
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Foundation@{ shape: lean-l}
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Orthoimagery@{ shape: lean-l}
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EnvironmentClimate@{ shape: lean-l, label: "Environment, Climate, & Health"}
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FieldImagery@{ shape: lean-l, label: "Field Imagery"}
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Elevation@{ shape: lean-l}
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WebCorpus@{ shape: lean-l, label: "Web Corpus"}
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end
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subgraph pp [Processing Pipeline]
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Raw@{ shape: rect, label: "Raw Data Ingestion"}
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Transform@{ shape: rect, label: "Transform and Optimize"}
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end
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subgraph df [Dissemination Formats]
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Parquet@{ shape: lean-l}
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FlatGeoBuf@{ shape: lean-l}
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VectorTiles@{ shape: lean-l, label: "Vector Tiles"}
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NextGenVectorTiles@{ shape: lean-l, label: "Next-Gen Vector Tiles"}
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PMTiles@{ shape: lean-l}
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SQLite@{ shape: lean-l}
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FileGeodatabase@{shape: lean-l, label: "File Geodatabase"}
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GeoTIFF@{ shape: lean-l}
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Zarr@{ shape: lean-l}
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WebP@{ shape: lean-l}
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JPG@{ shape: lean-l}
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PNG@{ shape: lean-l}
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JPEGXL@{ shape: lean-l, label: "JPEG XL"}
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AV1@{ shape: lean-l, label: "AV1"}
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WARC@{ shape: lean-l}
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end
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subgraph di [Distribution Infrastructure]
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ObjectStorage@{ shape: bow-rect, label: "Object Storage"}
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Metadata@{ shape: rect, label: "FAIR Data Catalog"}
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HTTP@{ shape: rect, label: "Static Files"}
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DecentralizedDistribution@{ shape: rect, label: "Decentralized Distribution"}
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end
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subgraph ei [Experimental Infrastructure]
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GeoSpatialServices@{ shape: rect, label: "Geospatial Services"}
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%%Martin@{ shape: rect}
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%%GeoServer@{ shape: rect}
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%%ZOOProject@{ shape: rect, label: "ZOO-Project"}
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%%BBOXServer@{ shape: rect, label: "BBOX Server"}
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%%Panoramax@{ shape: rect}
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%%Pelias@{ shape: rect}
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end
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subgraph "Consumption"
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DataSci@{ shape: rect, label: "Data People & Developers"}
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Systems@{ shape: rect, label: "Systems"}
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end
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%% Relationships
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Statistical a1@--> Raw
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a1@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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Foundation a2@--> Raw
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a2@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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Orthoimagery a3@--> Raw
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a3@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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EnvironmentClimate a5@--> Raw
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a5@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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FieldImagery a4@--> Raw
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a4@{animate:true, animation: fast}
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Elevation a6@--> Raw
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a6@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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WebCorpus a7@--> Raw
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a7@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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Raw a8@--> Transform
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a8@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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Transform a9@--> df
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a9@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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Parquet a10@--> FlatGeoBuf
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a10@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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Parquet a100@--> FileGeodatabase
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Parquet a110@--> SQLite
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a110@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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a100@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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FlatGeoBuf a11@--> VectorTiles
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a11@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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FlatGeoBuf a91@--> NextGenVectorTiles
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a91@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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VectorTiles a90@ --> PMTiles
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a90@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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VectorTiles a96@ --> SQLite
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a96@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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NextGenVectorTiles a92@ --> PMTiles
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a92@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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NextGenVectorTiles a95@ --> SQLite
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a95@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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Zarr a12@ --> WebP
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a12@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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df a13@ --> di
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a13@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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GeoTIFF a14@--> WebP
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a14@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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WebP a93@--> PMTiles
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a93@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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WebP a94@--> SQLite
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a94@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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WebP a103@--> JPG
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a103@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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WebP a104@--> PNG
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a104@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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JPG a101@--> FileGeodatabase
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a101@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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PNG a102@--> FileGeodatabase
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a102@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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ObjectStorage a15@--> Metadata
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a15@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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Metadata a16@--> HTTP
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a16@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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HTTP a17@--> ei
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a17@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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HTTP a18@--> DecentralizedDistribution
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a18@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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HTTP a19@--> DataSci
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a19@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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DecentralizedDistribution a20@--> Systems
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a20@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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DecentralizedDistribution a21@--> DataSci
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a21@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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Systems a22@ --> DataSci
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a22@{animate: true, animation: fast}
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ei a23@ --> DataSci
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a23@{animate: true, animation: slow}
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%% URLs
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click Foundation "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-foundation-labs/" _blank
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click Statistical "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-statistical-labs/" _blank
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click Orthoimagery "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-orthoimagery-labs/" _blank
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click FieldImagery "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-field-imagery-labs/" _blank
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click EnvironmentClimate "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-environmental-climate-health-labs/" _blank
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click Elevation "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-elevation-labs/" _blank
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click WebCorpus "https://github.com/dataforcanada/process-web-corpus-labs/" _blank
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click Parquet "https://github.com/apache/parquet-format/" _blank
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click FlatGeoBuf "https://flatgeobuf.org/" _blank
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click SQLite "https://www.geopackage.org/" _blank
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click FileGeodatabase "https://gdal.org/en/stable/drivers/vector/openfilegdb.html" _blank
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click VectorTiles "https://github.com/mapbox/vector-tile-spec/" _blank
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click NextGenVectorTiles "https://github.com/maplibre/maplibre-tile-spec/" _blank
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click GeoTIFF "https://cogeo.org/" _blank
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click Zarr "https://github.com/zarr-developers/geozarr-spec/" _blank
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click WebP "https://developers.google.com/speed/webp/" _blank
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click PMTiles "https://github.com/protomaps/PMTiles/blob/main/spec/v3/spec.md" _blank
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click JPEGXL "https://jpeg.org/jpegxl/" _blank
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click AV1 "https://aomedia.org/specifications/av1/" _blank
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click WARC "https://github.com/iipc/warc-specifications/" _blank
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click HTTP "https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/getting_started/" _blank
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click DecentralizedDistribution "https://www.dataforcanada.org/docs/dissemination/" _blank
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click Metadata "https://stac-utils.github.io/stac-geoparquet/latest/spec/stac-geoparquet-spec/" _blank
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click GeoSpatialServices "https://github.com/dataforcanada/geo-services-labs/" _blank
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click Martin "https://martin.maplibre.org/" _blank
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click GeoServer "https://geoserver.org/" _blank
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click ZOOProject "https://zoo-project.org/" _blank
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click BBOXServer "https://www.bbox.earth/" _blank
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click Panoramax "https://gitlab.com/panoramax" _blank
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click Pelias "https://pelias.io" _blank
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%% APPLY STYLES TO LINKED NODES
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class Foundation,Statistical,Orthoimagery,FieldImagery,EnvironmentClimate,Elevation,WebCorpus linkNode
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class Parquet,FlatGeoBuf,SQLite,FileGeodatabase,VectorTiles,NextGenVectorTiles,GeoTIFF,Zarr,WebP,PMTiles,JPEGXL,AV1,WARC linkNode
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class DecentralizedDistribution,HTTP,Metadata,GeoSpatialServices linkNode
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```
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## Get Involved
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We are actively looking for new members and partners to help shape this project.
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### 🇨🇦 Infrastructure Support: Selective Mirroring
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To support data sovereignty, safeguard against data loss, and improve local access speeds, **we are currently seeking selective mirroring in Canada**. See our [Infrastructure](/infrastructure).
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We are looking for academic institutions, research organizations, or **infrastructure partners** interested in hosting mirrors of specific, high-value dataset subsets. If you have bandwidth and storage capacity to spare for the Canadian open data ecosystem, please [contact us](https://www.dataforcanada.org/contact/).
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### Contributing & Feedback
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Right now, we primarily need **feedback on our datasets and the underlying processes** used to generate them. If you have thoughts on data quality, format optimization, or pipeline improvements, we want to hear from you.
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* **Discussions:** Head over to [#dataforcanada:matrix.org](https://matrix.to/#/#dataforcanada:matrix.org) to chat, or go to the individual process GitHub repos to comment on specific issues.
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## License
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This project is licensed under the [MIT License](https://opensource.org/license/mit).
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